The Canterbury tales is a series of historical mystery novels by British novelist Paul Doherty. The book consists of stories that are told by passengers of real-life historical English poet Geoffrey Chaucer who trekked from London, England to Canterbury during the medieval era. The series revolve around ghostly thesis. Here are the Canterbury Tales books in order of when they were originally released

Series 1

‘An Ancient Evil’

It is one of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales that starts by the passengers telling tales in turn. The Knight is the first to tell his story. His story is about the Strigoi, a demon who, with his followers, drinks human blood and can only be destroyed by fire. In the tale, Sir Hugo Mortimer of Oxfordshire, under instructions from King William, take into custody the Strigoi and buried him alive beneath his tower keep but they have not yet won the battle since the Strigoi will rise again.

Characters

Sir Godfrey Evesden

Sir Godfrey Evesden is a special commissioner and a knight who tells his tale that involves the ruin of a menacing cult at its stronghold in the wilds of Oxfordshire by Sir Hugo Mortimer during the reign of William the Conqueror. The tale then moves to Oxford some two hundred years later where bizarre offenses and dreadful massacres are being committed. The authorities are helpless but Lady Constance, a member of the Abbess of the Convent of St Anne’s, suspects that the murders are linked with the tradition of the cult and she appeals to the King for assistance. The mysterious murders continue and it seems hard to stop them.

Alexander McBain

Alexander McBain is a character in the series who is a royal clerk. Together with the knight, he is given the task of investigating and uncovering the mysterious deaths. They embark on the investigation and reveal indications that lead to a horrid world sect, which worships the dark lord. However, they do not have any solution to a series of increasingly inexplicable questions.

Dame Edith Mohun

Dame Edith Mohun is a blind exorcist who helps Alexander McBain and Sir Godfrey Evesden in revealing the person responsible for the murders. They find out that a Strigoi (also called a shape-shifter, devil-worshiper, or vampire) is liable for the deaths and that it will continue to recruit supporters unless captured and burned to death.

Series 2

‘A Tapestry of Murders’

This Canterbury tales starts with Chaucer’s passengers in disagreement amidst themselves. They are in open landscape having the unsullied spring weather as they slowly move towards Canterbury. The convoy is made up of an assorted compilation of travelers who have their dark secrets, hidden passions and intricate lives. The travelers shelter themselves from the rain in an inn and choose the Man of Law to narrate the next story of terror and ominous dealings. In this tale, Dowager Queen Isabella, mother of King Edward III, the ‘She Wolf of France’, who was disloyal to her husband and destroyed him because of her adulterous obsession for Roger Mortimer, lies dying of the plague in the sombre fortress of Castle Rising where King Edward III has kept her imprisoned. In the tale, the queen dies and her body is taken along the Mile End Road and laid to rest in Greyfriars next to the jumbled remains of her lover, who paid greatly for his conjecture in loving a queen. Despite the queen’s death, she causes intrigue, violence and murder. Nicholas Chirke, a young lawyer who is very honest is brought in to examine the bizarre events following the death of the queen and rapidly finds himself at his intelligence end trying to resolve the obscurity before a great scandal happens.

Characters

Dowager Queen Isabella

Dowager Queen Isabella is the queen and mother to King Edward III. She is portrayed as a promiscuous woman who betrays her husband and brings her husband down due to her undying passion for her lover, Roger Mortimer. Her passion and obsession for Roger Mortimer cost her so much and also cost her lover his life. She suffers from a plague due to her shameful acts and is imprison by her son her in the sombre fortress of Castle Rising.

King Edward III

King Edward III is the son of Dowager Queen Isabella who is a disloyal to her husband. King Edward III is forced to imprison his mother in the sombre fortress of Castle Rising after she suffers from a plague.

Nicholas Chirke

Nicholas Chirke is an honest young lawyer who is hired to investigate the bizarre events following the death of the queen. Despite his knowledge and skill, the lawyer is not able to point out the cause of violence and murders happening.

Series 3

‘A Tournament of Murders’

The tale begins with the Chaucer’s travelers taking refuge in a friary as they make their way towards Canterbury. It is at night and the travelers are settling for the night, away from the darkness outside and the obscure images that appear on the roads and byways of medieval England. Franklin, one of the travelers is next to narrate his tale. His tale is a mysterious, bloody tale which he says is a true story that not only affects his own life, but the lives of some of his fellow travelers. The story is dated back in 1356 when the Black Prince has won his resonant victory at Poitiers. Nonetheless, the poor knight Gilbert Savage gets his death wound in the bloody fight. As Gilbert lies dying in a ditch, he tells Richard Greenele that the story of his parents perishing during the plague is untrue. He tells Richard that if he is interested in uncovering what really happened, he must travel to Colchester and seek out the lawyer Hugo Coticol who is in procession of a preserved letter telling the truth of Richard’s background and the terrible secrets pertaining to his father’s scandalous death. According to Gilbert, the letter contains the most horrid affirmation. Richard has made a small step closer to finding out the truth and he feels obligated to avenge his father’s name.

Characters

Gilbert Savage

Gilbert Savage is a black prince who is badly wounded after winning a bloody fight. He is lying in a ditch and about to die when he reveals vital information to Richard Greenele, his squire. The information he reveals involves Richard’s background and the terrible secrets pertaining to his father’s scandalous death.

Richard Greenele

Richard Greenele is Gilbert’s squire who has a problem with is identity. His parentage is full of so many secrets since his father died a shameful death. Richard does not know about what really happened but he is determined to find out what happened and avenge his father’s death.

Series 4

‘Ghostly Murders’

The Canterbury tales starts when Chaucer’s pilgrims take refuge in the wreck of a church. In this tale, the Priest narrates his mystifying story. The story is about young Philip Trumpington, the new Scawsby parish priest. Philip finds out that the old church has astonishing secrets. The secrets involve the massacre of some Templars years ago. The Templars were massacred on the marshes by Romenal, a former vicar. Philip finds out the old church is haunted by ‘The Watchers’ and the villagers are affected by an awful curse. The ancient evil has to be determined and amendments made. But the price will be great.

Characters

Philip Trumpington

Philip Trumpington is a poor new Scawsby parish priest who finds out that the old church has astonishing secrets that involve the carnage of some Templars years ago by a former vicar. The murder led to a curse that has a great effect on the people thus there has to be a solution but the solution involves paying a great price.

Series 5

‘The Hangman’s Hymn’

The tale revolves around the Chaucer’s traveler who witnessed a hanging that left the carpenter in a dead faint. The carpenter then narrates the story of a Gloucester hangman whose participation in the mysterious punishment of three witches lets loose a fierce epidemic of revenge killings.

Characters

Simon Catterill

Simon Catterill is an unemployed carpenter who takes on a job in the Goucester hangman’s crew. The carpenter tells his story based on what he sees when his victims are hanged. His conscience is betraying him and he feels guilty about hanging the witches.

Series 6

‘A Haunt of Murder’

In this story, the Chaucer’s travelers are in a Kent copse that is said to be haunted. The travelers are clustered around the fire and ask the Clerk of Oxford to tell a ghostly tale of love and death that will further chill their blood. The story starts when Beatrice Arrowner is on her way to Ravenscroft Castle to share in the feasting with the clerk, Ralph Mortimer. However, the menacing events of the last few days soon shed a cloud over the celebrations. Phoebe, a castle maid, has been murdered and Fulk, the local miller’s son was missing. So when another guest at Ravenscroft is found massacred, it appears that the evil spirits which haunt the Midnight Tower are at work. Ralph Mortimer, a clerk at Ravenscroft, is determined to find out the person responsible for slaying villagers and castle dwellers. Meanwhile, Mortimer is busy searching for Brythnoth’s legendary golden cross from pagan times but his search is distracted when his fiancée, Beatrice Arrowner is mysteriously murdered.

Characters

Ralph Mortimer

Ralph Mortimer is a clerk who is determined to know the cause of the mysterious deaths of the castle dwellers and the villagers.

Mortimer

Mortimer is Beatrice Arrowner fiancé who is busy searching for Brythnoth’s legendary golden cross from pagan times but is distracted when Beatrice is mysteriously murdered.

Series 7

‘The Midnight Man’

This is the seventh Canterbury tales which is narrated by the physician. The story begins when Brother Anselm and his student Stephen are call upon to the Church of St Michael’s, Candlewick, to carry out an exorcism. The demons that infect the church seem to have been called by a renowned witch known as the Midnight Man. But what has he unsuspectingly unleashed and why? Is there any connection to the loss of young women in the area? Prior to Anselm getting to the truth, he must first reveal the identity of the mysterious Midnight Man.

Characters

Brother Anselm

Brother Anselm is an exorcism expert who teaches others on how to perform exorcism. He is call upon to carry out exorcism in the church where demons that affect the church are said to have been released by the Midnight Man.

The Midnight Man

The Midnight man is a renowned witch who has released evil spirits that are causing harm to the church and the people.

With the latest book in the Gray Man series by Mark Greaney coming out soon, we wanted to make the very first book in the series our book of the month.

Greaney is an incredible author and if you love the "lone badass" type of books then you will LOVE the Court "Gray Man" Gentry series. Read more about it.

Featured Series

It might seem like overkill, but we're giving The Gray Man series our featured series of the month.

Honestly this is such a great series and we feel not enough people read it so we want to push it. Read more about The Gray Man series and seriously if you haven't read it - start! Amazing thrillers.

Featured Author

Mark Greaney is an incredibly talented author. Not only does he write the Gray Man series however he also writes various Jack Ryan novels. Many feel he is the best writer of them and he truly is a great author. We're happy to award our author of the month to Mark Greaney.

Did You Know…

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